Second Baby Saint

I am having a hard time grasping that I'm now the mother of two.  It has been hard enough to believe that Kyle baby is my own.  But to think that the I now have twice the blessings seems..... unreal.

During the middle of my teenage years, I began having trouble with ovarian cysts.  As far as I know, they don't really run in my family.  But, I had my first at age 15 and my second at 19.  They were both very painful and bothersome.  Moreover, both of the doctors I went to for treatment warned me that with my propensity to ovarian cysts, it could be nearly impossible to conceive.  Hearing that at 15 was hard.  Hearing that again at 19, after I was already married and deeply longing for children one day, was terrible.  The second doctor I saw told Jonathan and me that it could take us many years to conceive, if at all.  Boy, was he wrong!  Within weeks of treating that cyst, Kyle was conceived.

My pregnancy with Kyle seemed like a dream.  Okay, besides all the barfing, exhaustion and back pain; that isn't exactly my idea of a dream.  Nevertheless, I really couldn't believe that we had actually conceived.  I couldn't believe that I was really growing a baby inside of me.

Over the past year and a half, I have often wondered if Kyle would be a solitary blessing.  Jonathan and I discussed adoption even before we were married and expect to adopt as many children as the Lord directs.  In addition, I still want to birth more biological children.  I love being a mother.  I haven't ceased thanking God for answering the cries of our hearts for Kyle.  And I am now overjoyed that He has answered our prayers for another child.

Actually I think I had another cyst rupture in August.  That was the reason for visiting the Ob-gyn during our trip to Mexico in early September.  By the time I went in for that sonogram however, there wasn't a cyst. And actually, I was already pregnant with this baby at that time, we just didn't know it yet.  So, as it turns out, my propensity to cysts isn't inhibiting our ability to conceive at all..... It seems to be helping!

I went to the doctor yesterday expecting that I was a little over eight weeks pregnant.  During a sonogram, they determined that I am barely six weeks along.  Somehow the rupturing cyst effected things and I was a bit off.  I'm a little discouraged to think that I'm actually two weeks behind what I thought I was.  But, I am thankful that so far things look good.  I'll go back in a month when they can take real measurements and hopefully set a reasonably accurate due date.  Right now, it looks like it'll be sometime in early June.

We are still anticipating a big move in January.  Things really depend on our support right now, but I won't go on about that when I really just want to think about my sweet second Baby Saint.  I will say that adding Baby Saint #2 raised our monthly support target and I am trying not to be anxious about that.  Regardless, assuming we leave in January, I will continue visiting my doctor here until then.  I have positively no idea what medical care will look like in Africa.  Part of me is hoping for a hospital birth and the other part of me is gearing up for a hut delivery.  I am thankful that I have already birthed one baby and did so with a bum epidural.  I feel reasonably confident that I can get this baby out without any meds at all.  Not that I am guaranteed to have much choice in the matter.  But, I at least feel a little more at ease with the thought after going through what I did to get Kyle into this world.

Excited seems like a pathetic way to attempt expressing our emotions.  We are more than excited.  We are thrilled and can't wait to meet this little one!  So far, I am most looking forward to baby kicks in my belly, holding this baby for the first time, breast feeding again, and hearing those first coos.

Mama loves you, little Baby Saint. You will be such a sweet blessing to our happy family.  I can't wait to kiss your soft tiny lips.

~Abby